Ethnicity and political systems

Ethnicity as construction in modern states bears a lot potential of conflict. Especially in postcolonial states where populations of diverse cultural origin were lumped together in a specific territory under one government as one nation, ethnic labels play a decisive role. With this compact course, we look at the emergence of new forms of ethnicity, the reasons for and the implications on the state with several leading questions: - What kind of pre-colonial political structures did several ethnic groups have - In which way are these kinds of political structures contradictory or compatible with modern nation states? - What are the motives behind the vitalization of ethnicity by specific actors? - What are the consequences for the state and how do different states react to the emergence of ethnicity? With this compact course addressing particularly students that are interested in political sociological reflection and discussion it is aimed to give a comprehensive overview of the current scientific debate about ethnicizing and ethnicity and to reflect in the context of nationhood political systems of non-European societies. In this course no high level academic English is expected. Much more the willingness to speak and to cooperate will be decisive for the success of this seminar. Forschungskolleg -Zukunft menschlich gestalten- (FoKoS) Universität Siegen WiSe 2013/14 M.A. Schwab Anne Kathrin M.A